Everything you need to know...
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What is the fee?
Home: £3,650 per stage
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How long will I study?
1 Year
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Where will I study?
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When do I start?
September 2026
January 2027
Course summary
- Build upon your qualifications and registered nurse status, attaining further specialist credentials.
- Embark upon a rewarding career as a health visitor or school nurse.
- Develop a pragmatic public health philosophy and an evidence-based skill set.
This course is open to applicants who hold a Post Graduate Diploma in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (Health Visiting and School Nursing). You'll gain the skills and experience you need for full-time practice.
How you learn
You will manage most of your own workload, but will also be supported by a supervisor. You’ll set mutually agreed deadlines, arrange meetings and share your work with your supervisor to get the most out of your learning. You’ll be encouraged to create and set your own research goals, helping you to develop your knowledge of your subject area.
At the start of the course you submit a proposal outlining what you have chosen to study. Masters dissertation projects can be very diverse and can include:
- research projects
- evaluation projects
- service development projects
- advanced professional practice projects
- theoretical or literature based projects
- You learn through self-directed study and supervised learning
Course leaders and tutors
Dr Patricia Day
Senior lecturer in primary careI am passionate about teaching public health nursing. I have remained in practice as a school nurse and sexual health practitioner whilst teaching at the university. … Read more
Modules studied may differ depending on when you start your course.
Modules
Important notice: The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.
Modules studied may differ depending on when you start your course.
Final year
Compulsory modules
This module will enable you to develop a proposal and then plan and conduct an in-depth investigation of a topic that contributes to professional practice. It provides the opportunity to apply an understanding of research methods to the investigation and allows you to demonstrate your ability to work with relative autonomy in undertaking a sustained, in-depth piece of independent learning. It promotes the dissemination of findings to your professional community.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
This module is essentially an individual, self-directed piece of work the contents of which will be specific to your professional area and interests. You will be expected to demonstrate a knowledge base relevant to the topic of interest as well as knowledge and understanding of appropriate research methods.
Students must submit a proposal for approval and this is a mandatory element of this module. You will be advised and supported through the proposal stage and necessary internal and external ethical and scientific approval processes. Approval from the reviewers on behalf of the Faculty Research Ethics Committee is essential before students can progress with their study.
You will be advised about the necessity of obtaining SHU ethical and scientific approval for your project. This and other ethical approvals outside of SHU e.g. NHS will be supported.
Future careers
This course prepares you for a career as
- a health visitor
- a school nurse
Where will I study?
You study this course online from any location
Entry requirements
All students
Completion of the PGDip in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (Health Visiting or School Nursing) award
Additional information for EU/International students
This course is not open to international students who require a student visa to study in the UK. If you are an international applicant but do not require a student visa, email our Admissions Team to find out whether you’re eligible to apply.
Fees and funding
Home students
Our tuition fee for UK students starting distance learning study in 2026/27 is £3,650 for a 60 credit stage.
If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
Scholarships and financial support
Find information on scholarships, bursaries and postgraduate student loans.
International scholarships up to £3000 ›
Alumni scholarships up to £2000 ›
Postgraduate loans for UK students ›
Additional course costs
The links below allow you to view estimated general course additional costs, as well as costs associated with key activities on specific courses. These are estimates and are intended only as an indication of potential additional expenses. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.
General course additional costs
Additional costs for Health and Social Care (PDF, 277.7KB)Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.
